4 ms·

Do other countries get subsidised phones with a phone plan?

• Loughla 2y ago
  Yeah I'll take a big ass logo on the start screen for a free phone.
• V__ 2y ago
  Yes
• 0xTJ 2y ago
  In Canada, phone locking has been banned since 2017, with free unlocking being available to phones purchased before that. You can still get cheaper/free phones with your plan, but it won't be locked to that carrier, that would be silly. It's over a contract of some defined length, and you're bound by the contract to pay for whatever value's left of the phone if you cancel. If you paid for that phone by being subscribed to your carrier for that length of time (say, 2 years), why wouldn't you be able to take that phone elsewhere? You've already paid for it, it's yours. There's also been a trend (I don't know whether it's legislated or not) for phones to be explicitly $X/mo for 24 months (though that still ends up being far below retail, and is sometimes $0), instead of burying that in the plan costs. We still have plenty of problems with ridiculous plan pricing and data limitations, but those have gotten better, and were still bad before carrier locking went away.
  • whycome 2y ago
    Hey now, there’s only so much data to go around. They have to charge really high prices for it. And of course it’s limited by month-use because that’s necessary. Canada needs some damn changes.
• paxys 2y ago
  If you run the numbers the subsidy offered by US carriers always ends up costing you more than just buying a new phone for full price with a cheaper plan. Your "free" iPhone isn't free if it involves (1) giving them your current one which is worth $500+ in a private sale and (2) signing up for a 3 year contract at $100+ a month.